Hay-loading apparatus.



110449.033. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

- ;-R. w. WELLER.

*HAY LQADING APPARATUS. ABPLIGATION FILED 00123, 1906.

2 slums-51mm 1v No. 849,033. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

R. W. WELLER. HAY LOADING APPARATUS.

Arruuuroy nun 0012 3, 1906.

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rue NORR I3 PETERS co. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAY-LOADING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed October 3, 1906. Serial No. 337,192.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT W. WELLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Packwood, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Loading Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to agricultural implements, and refers especiallyto that class of apparatus employed in stacking or storing hay, straw,or other products of similar nature.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a stacking ormowing device that will have greater efficiency than the appliances incommon use; to produce. an apparatus for distributing hay that can beutilized for building stacks of any shape or dimensions; to furnish anapparatus for stori'ng hay in barns or barracks that can be used toadvantage in structures of any shape, whether round, octagonal, orrectangular; to supply simple .means for controlling the mechanism sothat one operator can readily and easily manipulate the apparatus whileworking to full capacity; to construct an appliance for handling hay orgrain in bulk that can be controlled from any neighboring1 point,whether upon the ground or a scaffol or the roof of a building; to sodesign and construct the apparatus that many of the movements can beautomatically performed;

to arrange the parts so that a minimum amount of power will be requiredto perform the function assigned thereto, and to roduce an apparatus forthe purpose specifiied that will be simple in construction, economicalto manufacture, and that can be readily understood and easily managed bya person of ordinary intelligence. I attain these and other minorobjects by the use of an apparatus which comprises, generally speaking,a base upon which the structure rests, a frame supporting an elevatedplatform upon which the material to be distributed is placed, means forturning the apparatus in various directions, guiding ropes and pulleysby means of which the platform can be tilted to discharge its load, andautomatic mechanism for controlling the various movements.

My improvement is fully and clearly described, and illustrated intheaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and morecompletely set forth in detail in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Fi ure 1 is an end elevation of my improve hay andstraw distributer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryview of the extension. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the automatic device for restoring the receiving-platform. Fig. 5 is a side viewof one of the end brackets with the lower end of one of the standards.Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section, of a fragment of the base and oneof the sills with a portion of the track; and Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of a portion of one of the stop-blocks.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 8 indicates a base upon which islaid a circular track composed of an annular rail 9, upon which restrollers 9 and a circular flange, having adependin rim 10 which hooks 10project radial y inw L. o prevent displacement during the operation ofthe appliance. Frame-sills 11 are sup orted by the circular track andare provide with bracketplates 12, bolted to each end and supported ontheir inner sides by braces 13. The upper margins of the plates 12 areprovided with concave recesses 12", within which rest the lower ends of.the standards 14 14*, which are rounded to engage said recesses. A mainshaft 15 passes through the lower ends of the said standards. The upperends of the standards are provided with slots 16, in which are receivedthe ends of a shaft 17 and are secured from spreading by tie-rods 18. Areceiving-platform is provided, said platform being formed of thinboards 19, laid upon sills 19, supported by braces 20 and brackets 21,through which the shaft 17 passes, thus insuring a rigid support for theplatform and as the weight is borne by said shaft permitting of alateral tilting of the said latform. This construction will allow of theuse of comparatively light material for the platform, and the weight isfurther lessened by spacing the boards 19 some distance apart.

At a suitable distance above the sills 11 is placed a shaft 22,which'extends between the standards 14 14 and is provided with a sleeve23, which, together with the shaft, passes through the standard 14 butfalls short of the opposite standard 14, through which the end 24 of theshaft, reduced in size,

extends. Upon said sleeve are mounted duplicate grooved pulleys 25,about which are wound one or two turns of cables or ropes 26, each endof these cables being carried upward to the under side of thereceiving-platform 19, where they are drawn taut and-secured to eyebolts27.

The end of the sleeve 23 which projects through the standard 14' isprovided with a block 28, secured thereto by a band 29, which isfastened. to the block 28 and engages the sleeve, being held infrictional engagement therewith by a clamping-screw 30. By looseningthis screw the block and attachments can be thrown to either side of thesleeve, where it is held by ti htening said screw. A spring-bolt 31,sliding in guides fastened to the block 28, is ada )ted to engage holesin both sleeve and sha t, thus preventing them from being independentlyrotated when the bolt is in engagement therewith. The free end of thespring-bolt 31 is extended laterally and provided with a triangularcam-aperture 32. Two sides of said aperture lie obliquely to thedirection of movement of the bolt 31, and a lug or pin 82 fixed in alever 33, against the face of which said bolt lies, is received withinthe said ap erture. The lever 33 is pivoted to the block 28 and maybe'moved in either direction, up or down, and when so moved the pin 32will engage one of the inclined faces of the said cam-aperture andretract the spring-bolt 31, which will be automatically extended by theaction of its spring when the said lever is returned to its initialposition, which is shown in Fig. 1. The said lever is operated by a rope34, attached to its outer end and passing over a hook 35, carried to anyconvenient lo cali'ty and temporarily fastened to a cleat or hook 36.The hook 35, bolted to the standard 14 is furnished with afriction-roller 37 A companion hook 35 is secured in a reversed positionto the face of the standard 14 below the shaft 22 and is used in thesame manner as the upper hook when the lever 33 is to be carrieddownward. The shaft may be turned in either direction by the action ofthe device just described, and as soon as the rope 34 is released thetension of a spring 38, secured to the inner face of the standard 14,will restore the shaft to its initial position through the medium of ashort cable 39, which is secured at one end to the s ring and by theother to the said shaft. 15 similar spring and cable are fixecl to thestandard 14*, the only difierence being that the cable in this in stanceis fixed to the sleeve 23.

In Fig. 4 the parts are shown in the positions which they will assumewhen the shaft 22 has been given one turn and before it has beenrestored to its initial position.

Upon the pro'ecting end 24 of the shaft 22 is keyed a sprocket-wheel 40,which connects by a sprocket-chain 41 with a smaller sprocket 42, fixedto the shaft 15, external to the standard 14.

To the opposite end of the main shaft 15 is fixed an operating-wheel 48,a portion of its periphery 44 being adapted to receive one or two turnsof a cable 45, both ends of which are carried over pulleys 46, pivotedto the standard 14" and continued to any convenient point, as 36. Thepulleys 46 (three in number). are deeply grooved for the passage of saidcable 45 and are placed so that their edges approximate sufficiently toprevent the cable from being disengaged therefrom. To the periphery ofsaid operating-wheel 48 are fixed lugs 47 ,i which engage springstopblocks 48, secured to a bracket 49, bolted to the end plate 12. Theends of the stopblocks are provided with friction-rollers 50.

Upon the shaft 15 are mounted duplicate grooved pulleys 51, about whichare wound several turns of cables 52, which then pass around pulleys 53,fastened to the sills 11, whence they are carried upward and their endssecured in eyebolts 54, fixed in the edges of the standards 14 and 14 Tothe cables 52 helical springs 52 are fastened by one end, the otherbeing secured to the bracket 12. The function of these springs is torestore the standards to their initial position when released afterhaving been rocked upon their horizontal axis. To release the lugs 47 ofthe operating-wheel from engagement with the stop-blocks 48,

the end of the said shaft which projects through the standard is raisedby traction made equally upon both ends of theoperating-rope 45. Topermit of this movement, the standard 14 is provided witha slot 55,through which the shaft 15 passes. This elevation of the shaft 15 andwheel is not necessary to lock the wheel, since the lugs 47 will depressone of the stop-blocks during the rotary movement and the latter willspring into place, and thus automatically lock the wheelin position. Forthe purpose of rotating the frame and supporting-sills about a verticalaxis a cable 56 is wound upon the flange 10, the ends being carriedaround sheaves 57 and then led to any convenient location. Traction uponone end of this cable will cause the superstructure to be turned uponthe circular track 9, so that either side of the receiving-platform 19can be presented successively to every point of the compass. Whenhandling heavy loads or tilting the structure to a wide angle, it may benecessary to anchor the base in order to insure stability. To this endthe base is furnished with angle-irons 58, through which bolts may bepassed to secure the apparatus to the floor.

It may sometimes be desirable, as in building very large stacks or inunusually high barns or barracks, to provide means for rais- ICC ing thereceiving-platform to a greater height than the standard will permit.For this pur pose I provide an extension composed of auxiliary standards59, their upper ends being rounded and formed with slots to receive theends of the shaft 17, as in the case of the main standards 14 14*. Theseauxiliary members pass through retainingb ands 60, secured to thestandards 14 14*, and at their lower ends are secured by bolts 61. Theauxiliary standards are braced by tie-rods 62 and the cables 52,disengaged from their eye bolts 54, are carried further upward andfastened t0 eyebolts 63 in the margins of the members 59.

The metho d of operating my improved haydistributer is as follows: Theapparatus hav ing been located at the desired point, thehay is depositedupon the receiving-platform by any of the well-known forms ofhay-handling devices in common use, said platform and standards being inthe positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2,which is referred to as the initial position. The standards may be swung or tilted in either directionby manipulating the rope 45, and this movement will necessarily carrythe receiving-platform in the same direction and also tilt the lattermore or less, according to the degree of movement of the frame. Thiscombination movement of frame and platform is required when it isdesirable to deliver the material at a considerable distance from thebase and is ac complished by first making traction upon both ends alikeof the rope 45, which passes around the wheel 43. This will lift thesaid wheel and shaft 15, so that the lug 47, which is engaged by thestops 48, will be released. The operator now pulls upon one end only ofthe said rope, and this will turn the pulleys 51, and through the mediumof the cables 52 cause the frame, composed of the standards 14 14 andbraces 18 and bearing the platform 19, to work or swing upon the shaft15 to the desired angle. This partial revolution of the shaft 15 will betransmitted, through the chain 41, to the shaft 22, and through themedium of the cables 26, which are wound upon the pulleys 25, theplatform 19 will be synchronously rocked or tilted and the load will bedeposited by the action of gravity. As soon as the load has slip ed fromthe platform the operator will re ease his traction upon the rope 45,and the action of the springs 38 and 52" will carry the parts back totheir initial osition, where they will be automatically ocked by thestop-blocks 48. If it is desired to tilt the receiving-platform withoutrocking the whole frame, as would be the case when the load was to bedumped close in toward the base, the operator will make traction uponthe rope 34 to swing the lever 33 either upward or downward according tothe position of said lever and the location of the rope upon the hooks35 35 and this lever movement will act through the cam 32 to withdrawthe spring-bolt from engagement with the shaft 22, and further tractionupon said rope will rotate the sleeve 23 and through the medium ofcables 26 will tilt the platform. to the required angle. The springs 38will restore the parts to their initial position when traction upon theoperating-rope 34 ceases. By carrying the operat ing-ropes 34, 45, and56 to one point all of the operations can be easily carried out by oneperson from that position. Thus all the movements can be positivelycontrolled either from the ground or the top of the stack or the roof ofthe building. By first loosening the screw 30 the block 28 and lever 33may be turned to the opposite side of the sleeve and secured bytightening the screw, thus permitting the platform to be operated. fromthe opposite side of the machine.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the devices of myinvention as herein disclosed without departing from the spirit andscope thereof, and I do not wish, there fore, to be limited to theprecise construction set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An apparatus forthe purpose specified including a base, a frame supported on said base,a platform carried on sa1d frame, means for turning said frame on avertical axis, means for rocking the platform-su ports on a horizontalaxis, and means for ti ting said platform in opposite directions fromits initial position.

2. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a base, sillssupported on said base and carrying a frame, a platform borne by saidframe, means for turning the sills and frame on a vertical axis, meansfor rocking the frame on a horizontal axis, and means for tilting saidplatform.

3. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a fixed base, sillsmounted on said base, a movable frame supported on the sills, areceiving-platform carried on the frame, means for turning said sillsand frame on a vertical axis, means for rocking said frame on ahorizontal axis, means for locking the frame in its initial position andmeans for tilting said platform.

4. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a base, a circulartrack laid on said base, a movable frame supported on said track, aplatform carried on said frame, means for turning said frame upon thecircular track, means for rocking the frame, means for locking the framein its initial position, means reversible for tilting the platform, andmeans for locking the platform in its initial position.

5. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a base furnishedwith a circular track, a frame adapted to turn on said circufi ar lartrack, a platform carried on said frame, means for turning the frameupon said track, means for rocking the frame upon a horizontal axis,means for locking said frame in its initial position, means for tiltingthe platform upon a horizontal axis, means for automatically returningsaid platform to its initial position, and means for retaining saidplatform in such initial position.

6. An apparatus for the purpose specified includin a fixed base, arevoluble frame mounterf upon said base, a platform carried on theframe, means for revolving said frame upon the base, means for rockingthe frame upon a horizontal axis, means for lockin the frame in itsinitial position, means for re easing the frame from its lockedposition, means for automatically tilting the platform synchronouslywith the rocking movement of the frame and means for automatically looking the platform when tilted to its initial position.

7. An apparatus for the purpose specified includin a base having acircular track, a frame a apted to turn on said track, a platformcarried on the frame, means for turning the frame upon said track, meansfor preventing displacement of the frame from the track,

means for rocking the frame upon a horizontal axis, means forautomatically locking the frame in a secondary'position, means forreleasing the frame from a locked position, means for automaticallytilting said platform simultaneously with the rocking movement of theframe means for automatically restoring the frame and platform to theirinitial position and means for automatically locking said frame andplatform in their initial positions.

8. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a base provided witha circular track, a frame adapted to turn on the track, a platformcarried on said frame, means for turning the frame upon the said track,means for preventing displacement of the frame from the track, means forrocking the frame upon a horizontal axis, means for automaticallylocking the frame in a plurality of positions, means for releasing theframe from any of its locked positions, means for automatically tiltingthe said platform simultaneously with the rocking movement of the frame,means for automatically restoring the frame and platform to theirinitial positions, means for automatically locking said frame andplatform in their initial or secondary positions, means for tilting saidplatform independently of the movements of the frame, means forautomatically restoring said platform to its initial position whenindependently tilted, means for automatically locking said platform inits initial position, said looking means being independent of the meansfor locking the frame in its initial position, and means for anchoringsaid base.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT W. WELLER.

Witnesses:

S. F. STUGLEDER, F. M. JOHNSTON.

